Built for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Velodrome boasts a 250m track and 45-degree banking, which excited the 30 lucky participants. While we intended for this to be an experience, it quickly become a competition as participants worked to beat each other and break last year’s record of 17.36 seconds for the quickest lap.

Following a brief safety presentation and allowing for training laps to be completed, the event began. Participants, especially those here for the first time, were shocked at their scores and their ability to get above the ‘blue line.’

The winner, Nick McNulty, was a speed demon on the track, finishing with the fastest time we have ever seen. His time of 16.9 seconds shaved quite a bit of time off the previous winners’, Ben MacDonald and Matt Briers, with a time of 17.36 and 17.26 seconds respectively. Nick currently serves as the Financial Accounting Group Controller for Domestic & General.

In regards to Nick’s record breaking time, here’s something to consider. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Great Britain’s team of Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, Owain Doull, and Bradley Wiggins set the 4000m team pursuit world record with a time of 3 minutes 50 seconds. This averages out to 14.39 seconds per lap. Nick finished just 2.5 seconds behind them, meaning he just might want to put his finance career on hold and start training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games!

In this exciting and fast paced environment, our guests had the perfect chance for fun and networking with their peers. We would like to say a huge thanks to the outstanding Velodrome team who helped us plan another fantastic day.

Cycling to work is one of the smartest thing to do these day. Yes, you get exercise as well as serve your environmental conscience. But, cycling to the office is so twenty first century too. Employers are encouraging it, local councils are backing it and so is the government.

Against this background, it is remarkable that everyone who works within a five mile radius of their workplace isn’t getting on the saddle. It is noteworthy that many people routinely get behind the wheel and driving to work despite having less than 5-6 kilometers to the workplace.

If you want to maintain your health, you should exercise at least half an hour per day, preferably one hour. If you have four miles to work, you get the motion on cycling there. However, if you are driving to work, you set aside an hour a day for jogging or sweating in the gym. Bike Fridays thinks that driving to work is a waste of time.

Moreover, it is viable to use the bicycle to go to work, stores and other errands. Only the variable costs for a car amounts to about 20 per mile when taking into account fuel costs, maintenance and repairs. Starting late to count the cost of car parking, depreciation and other peripheral costs actually make is super expensive.

Maintenance costs for a bike are negligible when compared to the cost of car maintenance.

Too far to work?

Some do not want to bike to work because they have a long way to go. But if you live too far from work to bike all the way so you can perhaps ride part of the way and go by bus or train the rest.

When interviewing people about their travel habits, it turns out that most car trips are only 3-5 km away. According to calculations by the National Road Administration commissioned between 30 and 35 percent of all car trips could be made by bicycle. In England, there are currently only about 9 percent of all trips by bicycle. However, there are cities where a far larger proportion of journeys are made by bicycle. Swedish cities such as Lund, Malmö, Linköping and Orebro have 20 to 30 percent of all trips by bicycle.

So, are you a Friday Bike nearer to riding a bicycle to the office? Drop your comments below.

Whether you are going on a boat trip while on holiday or have simply decided to go on a boat trip in an effort to see your hometown from a different point of view, getting to the dock on time can be difficult, especially if there is a lot of traffic. Fortunately, taking a bike will not only ensure you get there, regardless of how many other drivers are on the road, but it also offers a number of other benefits. Here is a quick look at just a few of the top benefits associated with taking a bike to get to your boat trip.

It is a good form of exercise
Let’s face it. When you finally get on the boat, you will spend most of the time just sitting there enjoying the sights. To make up for all that sitting around, why not get a little bit of exercise on the way over? Biking has proven to be a good way to exercise your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles, along with your gluteal muscles. In addition, it provides an effective cardiovascular workout, which will help keep your heart healthy.

It promotes a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally
Studies have shown that regular biking can decrease your risk of heart disease by 50 per cent. A separate study found that moderate exercise, such as that you get from biking, helps keep your immune cells more active, which leaves them ready to fight off infections. Finally, biking has been found to help build new brain cells in the region of the brain responsible for memory, while also enhancing your energy level and making you a happier person overall.

It helps save the planet
Not only does biking reduce harmful emissions into the air, but it also fights against noise pollution. In addition, it takes much less natural resources and considerably less rubber to manufacture bikes and their tires than it does it a vehicle.

It helps you save money
Even if you are driving your own car to the boat, you will still have to pay for the price of petrol. Of course, if you opt to take public transportation, the costs can get even higher. Provided you already have your own bicycle or know who to borrow one from, riding a bike is free.

It allows you to see and experience things from an entirely different perspective
When you are driving a car, riding in a taxi, or taking the tube, you see the world around you through windows that are most likely dirty and covered in other people’s handprints. When you ride a bike to get to your boat trip, this is not the case. In addition, on a bike. you get to feel the wind around you and smell the smells of the city around you. Essentially, when you decide to ride a bike, you get to see things up close and personal, which you are likely to really appreciate if you are on holiday.

There are over 1,200 drug and alcohol agencies around the country that provide support and rehabilitation for drug addicts and alcohols. Treatments range from residential clinics, detox centres, support groups, harm minimization and even geographical moves.

But there’s a little known secret that one drug rehabilitation centre in Bristol in the UK are adopting that working wonders in helping drug addicts and alcohols achieve long term recovery from their addictions.

You guessed it…

Cycling!

Yes, ex addicts are peddling their way to new lives, getting fit and helping the environment. Western Counselling trialed a ‘cycle to rehab’ program for all residents over a six month period. That meant cycling to and from the drug treatment centre every week day morning and evening…And the results have been quite amazing.

The general fall out (number of people that leave rehab early to continue their addictive cycles) has dropped to an all time low of just 8% over a six month period, since cycling was made an active part of their treatment program. This staggering statistic will have rehab centres around the world buzzing with excitement.

An employee of Western reportedly said that clients were visible better, mentally more stable, enjoying emotional balance and improved motivation.

So, a simple 1.5 mile cycle twice a day maybe all you need to better the way you feel about yourself and the world around you.

Of course these statistics and claims are not scientific facts but they do point to the possibilities of directly support drug and alcohol addicted people of finding a new way of living.

As a chief advocate for cycling and the obvious benefits it can provide any reasonable individual this story is quite amazing. And I for one am a firm believer that cycling changes lives.

What do you think?

Can cycling be the next solution to grave mental and emotional problems that often stem from addictive behaviour? I certainly like to think so.

By the end of September 2015, more than 43,000 electric cars were registered in the UK, an increase of more than 1,000 per cent from 2013. Many of these automotive owners made their decision to buy this type of car based on their desire to help the environment and preserve the earth.

For others who are intent on improving the environment, but not quite ready to purchase a new car, bicycles are often preferred methods of transportation. If you are not currently a member of these two groups, it is time to consider becoming one. Not only are they sure to become increasingly popular in the upcoming years, but they offer numerous environmental advantages.

Electric Cars
With the UK facing increased air pollution concerns, electric cars provide a great alternative to traditional vehicles that produce excessive amounts of harmful carbon emissions into the atmosphere. In fact, electric cards are 100 per cent eco-friendly, using an engine that is entirely electric. By running on a clean energy source, it does not emit any smoke or toxic gases into the environment. Electric cars are also much quieter than their traditional counterpart, which means they significantly reduce noise pollution. As an added bonus, they are very low maintenance because there is no need to lubricate the engine.

If you own a tradition petrol or diesel car and want to find a vehicle that will benefit the environment and your pocket take a look at this best buy my car services article. You can potentially sell your current car within the next couple of days and invest the money in something that is kinder to planet earth.

Throughout the UK, governments and private individuals are working to increase the number of charging stations available. Currently there are around 9,000 stations, but this number is expected to grow as electric cars become more popular.

Bicycles
While electric cars are becoming more common on the roads, bicycles are also being ridden more and more by individuals committed to helping the environment. Instead of getting in their car or taking petrol guzzling public transportation, people are opting to bike to work, school, the local market, and any other place within a reasonable distance from home.

Not only do bicycles greatly reduce noise pollution, but they also require no fuel, take less energy and natural resources to manufacture, and do not require batteries or motor oil that have the potential to be toxic to the environment. They also decrease traffic congestion, which cuts down on the number of cars on the road at the same time and potentially decreases traffic jams and commute times.

If you are not yet committed to driving an electric car or riding a bike, consider this. Both air and noise pollution have been found to negatively impact the quality of life for residents throughout the UK and can even result in increased anti-social behaviour and crime. In addition, evidence strongly suggests that there is a direct link between noise pollution and various medical conditions, including strokes and heart attacks, while air pollution is estimated to have an effect equivalent to 29,000 deaths each year in the UK alone.

While the environment is in danger, we can do something about it, starting with examining our methods of transportation. Is it time for you to invest in an electric car or bicycle?

This article is a guest post my Marcus Rockey who founded the popular automotive website http://theusedcarguy.co.uk/. You will find a vast collection of free information, advice and support to help if you are buying or selling a used car in the United Kingdom.

In Britain, the Supreme Court is making a serious attempt at saving the environment. By 31 December 2015, Britain is required to present a plan detailing how they intend to improve air quality to the European Commission. While the government works to put a plan in place, citizens throughout the United Kingdom can take a giant step toward saving the environment by riding bicycles. From cycling to work to taking your bike to pick up a few items at the produce market, it’s easier than you think to incorporate cycling into your daily life.

How Cycling Can Save the Environment
Riding a bike instead of driving your personal vehicle or taking public transportation has significant benefits, including reducing air and noise pollution. Cars are currently the biggest source of greenhouse gases and other unhealthy air pollutants. Bikes will cut down on the number of cars, buses, and trains on the road, which will reduce congestion. This means fewer vehicles idling in traffic, which will reduce the amount of time they spend on the road, thus lowering their emissions.

As an added bonus, as more and more people opt for bicycles over cars, the need for the metal used to produce cars will decrease. It is not unusual for the metals used to create vehicles to be mined from the earth, which results in deforestation and allows pollution to enter the atmosphere when these raw materials are extracted. In addition, mining often leaves the landscape without vegetation for years, which only adds to global warming by removing the trees needed to clean the atmosphere. Finally, mining for the metal needed to create a vehicle often leads to contaminated water sources.

Additional Benefits to Biking
Riding a bike is particularly beneficial for your health. It can protect you from a wide variety of diseases, including heart attacks and strokes, thanks to improved cardiovascular fitness. It also decreases your risk of developing diabetes, arthritis, and some cancers, while strengthening your bones, improving your coordination, joint mobility, and posture, and increasing your flexibility and muscle strength.

According to the European Trade Union Confederation, the biking industry will also provide economic benefits that will be felt throughout the United Kingdom. It is believed that growth in the cycling economy has a higher job creation potential than the automotive industry. In addition, the health benefits and reduced risk of multiple chronic conditions can decrease NHS costs, which would give the government the opportunity to direct these savings toward another important program.

Riding a bike does much more than help improve air quality. It plays a huge role in saving the environment, has the potential to improve the economy, and offers numerous health benefits. If you have never considered riding your bike, it is time to start seriously looking into how you can incorporate biking into your daily routine. If it is not possible to ride your bike every day, start with doing it a couple of days a week and make an attempt to increase your efforts from there.